Communication Apprehension and Imagined Interactions

Communication apprehension (CA) is associated with fear of anticipated communication. Yet, imagined interactions (IIs) can help reduce fear of communication in which individuals use mental imagery before and after to prepare and review communication. A series of regression analyses in which characteristics of IIs were the independent variables was used to predict overall CA, as well as in four different contexts. The regression analysis indicated that CA could be predicted by the II characteristic of discrepancy across multiple contexts. The II catharsis function was predictive in one context. Results are discussed in terms of cognitive modification as a therapeutic technique for treating CA.     

Dose–response relations between preschool teachers’ exposure to components of professional development and increases in quality of their interactions with children

The present study examined the pattern of associations over time between the quality of observed interactions and exposure to features of an effective coaching model for 170 preschool teachers enrolled in a study investigating professional development impacts. Using a treatment-on-the-treated approach, teachers exposed to a greater number of cycles of coaching showed more improvement in classroom interactions over the year. More specifically, of the two components of treatment examined, video exemplars and individual coaching prompts, exposure to prompts was associated with growth from baseline in instructionally supportive interactions while watching video exemplars was associated with growth in emotionally supportive behaviors in analysis of linear effects. Watching emotional support video exemplars was negatively associated with growth in classroom organization behaviors. The non-linear pattern of these associations suggested that the initial dosage of prompts created observable effects on instructional support, but after a certain point additional dosage was not effective. Conversely, initial dosage did not create observable effects on emotional support, but improvement was observed after exposure to a certain minimum dosage of time watching video exemplars. The results have implications for the design, delivery, and focus of professional development for early childhood educators.     

The interplay of a biology teacher's beliefs,teaching practices and gender-based student-teacher classroom interaction

Cross-relationships among a Taiwanese seventh-grade biology teacher's beliefs, practices and classroom interaction with either male or female students were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. Results show that the teacher's classroom practices reflect her teaching philosophy, which she described in interviews held before and throughout the class observation period. Gender-based characteristics clearly play an important role in establishing and maintaining differences in interactions between male or female students and their teacher in this particular classroom. Data collected from classroom observations show that the subject teacher's beliefs concerning boy/girl differences in learning style and classroom participation are reinforced or sustained by her behaviour, which includes unequal distribution of direct questions, unbalanced feedback and encouragement, and a lack of restrictive controls on calling out answers.     

Attributions and emotional competence: why some teachers experience close relationships with disruptive students (and others don’t)

ABSTRACT

Disruptive student behaviour is a major concern for teachers, causing classroom conflict and emotional fatigue. Whilst student-teacher closeness is known to reduce student aggression and improve behaviour, it is not yet known why some teachers experience close relationships with disruptive students and others do not. This qualitative study therefore examined relational closeness between elementary teachers and disruptive students in Sydney, Australia. Using a teacher speech sample task, we identified eight disruptive students with ‘complicated’ student-teacher relationships: high in both closeness and conflict. Eleven classroom teachers and seven support teachers each spoke about their relationships with the eight students. Speech samples were analysed using an inductive content analysis to determine characteristics that may facilitate relational closeness in spite of student-teacher conflict. Findings revealed two characteristics of teachers’ speech that guided relational closeness: attributions for disruptive behaviour and emotional competence. Not all teachers, however, described a close relationship. These findings provide new directions for interventions that aim to improve student-teacher relationship quality.     

Beliefs, practices, and interactions of teachers in a Japanese high school English department

This study reveals the school culture and the teachers’ professional development activities in a Japanese high school learning environment. Furthermore, it documents the relationships among the context, teachers’ beliefs, practices, and interactions. Using multiple data sources including interviews, observations, and documents of teachers from an English department, this yearlong study revealed these English as a Foreign Language teachers lacked many teacher learning opportunities in their context. The study revealed that teacher collaboration only reinforced existing practices, eroding teachers’ motivation to learn to teach in this specific context. The study provides evidence to teacher educators about inservice teachers and their learning environment and the significance of the relationships between the two entities.     

基于Web Service的多Agent交互机制研究

本文分析了基于CORBA的Agent通信交互模型存在的缺陷,并在此基础上提出了基于Web Service的多Agent交互模型。该模型能充分利用Web Service的完全平台无关性,为分布式异构环境下多Agent之间交互提供了一种新的方法。     

Getting along and feeling good: Reciprocal associations between student-teacher relationship quality and students’ emotions

Relationship quality and emotional experience are both important constructs in learning environments but the question of how they are linked requires more attention in empirical research. We hypothesized reciprocal associations between student-teacher relationship quality (i.e., interpersonal closeness) and students' emotions in the classroom (i.e., enjoyment, pride, anxiety, anger, boredom, and shame). Data from a two-wave longitudinal study with annual assessments in grade 10 (Time 1) and 11 (Time 2) were used to test this hypothesis (N = 535; mean age at Time 1: 16.7 years, SD = 0.6). Student-perceived relationship quality and students’ emotions were assessed in the academic domains of mathematics, German, English, and French. In line with our hypothesis, cross-lagged panel models showed reciprocal associations: Higher relationship quality was associated with stronger positive emotions and weaker negative emotions over time. In turn, lower negative emotions and higher positive emotions were associated with higher relationship quality. The association between initial emotions and student-teacher relationship quality one year later was stronger than the reverse association. Further, the links between relationship quality and emotions were largely equivalent across school domains but differed in strength across emotions. Implications for future research and educational practice are discussed.     

论高校思想政治理论课中的师生信任

高校中的师生信任是决定高校思想政治理论课教育效果的重要一环。本文从师生信任的特点,导致师生不信任的原因．塑造师生信任的途径几个方面对高校师生信任问题进行剖析,对解决高校师生信任问题提出了自己的见解,     

A cross-lag analysis of longitudinal associations between preschool teachers’ instructional support identification skills and observed behavior

The present study examined the pattern of association(s) over time between (a) knowledge of and observational skills in identifying teacher–child interactions, and (b) observed behavior in the domain of instructional interaction for 405 preschool teachers enrolled in a professional development study. Teacher's knowledge/observational skills and observed instructional support behaviors with children were assessed in the fall and spring over a two-year period. During this time, the teachers were also randomized into a college course focused on interactions, then re-randomized into a coaching intervention, also focused on instructional interaction. Cross-lagged analyses suggest that prior observed behavior was the stronger predictor of change in both knowledge/observation skills and in later observed behavior, and that both the course and the coaching interventions contributed to improvements in teachers observed instructional support behavior. Mediational analyses of the course effects indicated longer-term impact on observed instructional behavior were through immediate impacts on those same behaviors, whereas long-term impacts on knowledge were through immediate impacts on both observed instructional behavior and knowledge. The results have implications for the design, delivery, and focus of professional development for early childhood educators.     

Students’ and teachers’ perceptions of goal structures – Will they ever converge? Exploring changes in student-teacher agreement and reciprocal relations to self-concept and achievement

Previous studies have shown that alignment between teachers’ and students’ perceptions of goal structures (i.e., student-teacher agreement) ranges from non-existent to, at most, moderate. However, existing work is limited in that it all relies on cross-sectional data, meaning that we lack an understanding of changes in student-teacher agreement on goal structures over time. The present study therefore (a) attempts to shed light on changes over one semester in student-teacher agreement on six dimensions of goal structures (task, autonomy, recognition, grouping, evaluation, and time) in mathematics classes. In addition, we address the question (b) whether differentiated developmental trajectories of student-teacher agreement emerge for the period before vs. after the first mathematics test in the semester. Furthermore, the study (c) examines whether and how students’ self-concept and indicators of students’ initial and actual achievement are (reciprocally) related to agreement and changes in agreement. Data for this study was collected at five measurement points in newly assembled classes (Grade 9) after a transition within secondary education. The sample contained 130 students and their mathematics teachers, resulting in 130 student-teacher dyads. Applying piecewise growth curve modeling indicated changes in agreement regarding recognition, evaluation, and time. Higher increases in self-concept before the test forecasted declines in agreement regarding autonomy after the test. Moreover, we found effects of achievement on changes in agreement for the dimensions of autonomy, evaluation and time. To conclude, the study’s findings support a dynamic view of student-teacher agreement on several dimensions and provide insights into the interplay between changes in agreement, self-concept, and achievement.